For immediate release

Olympic goals for Bassetlaw Swim Squad. Bassetlaw Swim Squad swimming coach Michael Glossop is looking to the Olympics as a possible goal after some of his members swam away with seven lifetime best times during two recent prestigious events.

Competing in the British Swimming Summer Championships (July 24-29) and the Swim National Summer Meet (July 31-August 4) at Ponds Forge, , the Bassetlaw swimmers competed against 270 other swimming clubs from across the UK.

BPL Head of Performance Swimming Michael said: “Having only been in existence for 16 months, BPL Performance Training Programme racing under Bassetlaw Swim Squad has seen massive performance improvements in a relatively short period of time.

“I am so proud of all the swimmers who handled themselves really professionally and worked so hard all season long. They did themselves proud and this has opened not only their eyes, but the eyes of everyone connected to BSS, to what we could achieve in the future with the 2020 Olympics not too far away and the 2024 Olympics a potential goal.”

Bassetlaw Swim Squad achieved four qualifiers for the British Swimming Summer Championships across eight events, and seven qualifiers for the Swim England National Summer Meet across 12 events.

That’s an amazing increase of over 300% in number of events compared to 2017.

Natasha Utley (16) of Swimming Club and , set two personal bests from two events in the British Championships and missed the final by 0.2 seconds!

Jess Gillatt (21) also of the Retford club, mirrored Utley’s experience by missing her 50m Breaststroke final by 0.2 seconds as well!

Lucy Gratton, of College and Worksop Dolphins, had never previously qualified for the British competition and competed in three events just marginally away from her best times.

This is a marked improvement since last season as all three girls failed to qualify for the British event in 2017, and now they’re now knocking on the door to be ranked in the top 10 in Britain for their respective age groups.

During the Swim England meet, Isabella Hobson-Corbett (13) from Retford SC and Queen Elizabeth’s High School, showed great resilience coming back from two disappointing swims to qualify for the 12/13years’ 200m IM final and winning the Silver from lane 1 in a new lifetime best of 2:27.24. Hobson-Corbett was a first-time competitor at both the British and English events, so a busy schedule allowed her to gain valuable experience at this level.

Mia Hunt (16), from Retford SC and , made her national debut and topped a great season off by qualifying for the 16 years’ final in the gruelling 200m Butterfly, posting a huge lifetime best and earning the Silver medal!

Tom Johnstone (15), from Retford SC and Retford Oaks, had to wait until the last day of competition but delivered a personal best in the final of the 15years’ 50m Butterfly, narrowly missing a medal by 0.3 seconds.

Callum Kettlewell (14), from Retford SC and the Elizabethan Academy, debuted in the boys’ 14years’ 800m Freestyle. He climbed three places up to 6th place in his age-group.

Michael added: “This is just the beginning of our journey.”

Bassetlaw Swim Squad is the competition outlet for the BPL Performance Training Programme, the programme trains up to 10 times per week art Bircotes, Retford and Worksop Leisure Centre. Notes to Editors BPL is a not-for-profit social enterprise and charitable company that was established in July 1999. We seek at all times to provide affordable, value for money health, sport and leisure facilities and activities. We operate a diverse portfolio of sports and leisure facilities across Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Mansfield and Pontefract. Our unique venues include multi use leisure centres, public golf courses, school out-of-hours amenities, and standalone health and fitness facilities. We also operate the Metrodome Leisure Complex, an award-winning regional attraction in Barnsley, South Yorkshire that houses Calypso Cove Waterpark, Metrodome Bowling, Rigby Café & Lounge, the Metrodome Arena and Fitness Flex Metrodome. Our mission statement is ‘Working together to enrich lives’ and we are proud of our diverse and exciting portfolio of health, sport, and leisure facilities.

This press release was issued by Script Media on behalf of Barnsley Premier Leisure. For more information please contact Katie Walters via [email protected] or 01226 734 690.

Image caption: BSS at the Swim England National Summer Meet.